"For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Acts 8:23
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." Ephesians 4:31
"Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Hebrews 12:15
Lord,
You said not to let the root of bitterness grow. You showed me a wonderful example of that this spring.
Our one tree at the left of the driveway was in a growth of a scrub brush and Rose of Sharon. Last Summer, I cleaned a lot of it out cutting the stumps of the scrub brush down to almost ground level so I could mow there. This spring, AEP hired a tree cutting company to cut down that tree and one of the Poplars in the front yard out by the road. I decided to go out and finish cleaning out all by the Rose of Sharon now that it would get enough sunshine to actually bloom. Lord, You are described in scripture as the Rose of Sharon.
There were a lot of leaves that had fallen there so I started cleaning them out go I could finish the job. What I found was the lesson. Because I could not uproot the scrub brush but just cut it down, it had sprouted not one stem like I had cut down, but several new ones out of the stump. Although I could not see them because of the leaf clutter on top, they had lots of time to grow hidden from view.
Oh, Lord, how like the little slights, insults, and attacks on my pride is that scrub brush growth!
I think I have forgiven and cover the offense and my feelings well enough so as not to have them grow into plants again. BUT, something will come up, a word or remembrance totally unrelated and another shoot springs from the stump! Oh, Lord, please forgive me! Help me to be like the chemical "Roundup" sprayed on the bitterness plants as it kills not only the foliage, but the roots! Remind me often, Lord, that any bitterness I feel can corrupt many...maybe the very ones I want to win for You as they see the hypocrisy in me. May that NEVER be!
